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BMC's 1800 IS HERE! Froid Davm PALMER in London Room of a Holden Or Falcon with 90 Mph Performance and Fuel Consumption of 35 Mpg at a Steady 60 Mph

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BMC's 1800 IS HERE! Froid Davm PALMER in London Room of a Holden Or Falcon with 90 Mph Performance and Fuel Consumption of 35 Mpg at a Steady 60 Mph First test, details and pictures of a sensational new car BMC's 1800 IS HERE! FroID DAVm PALMER in London room of a Holden or Falcon with 90 mph performance and fuel consumption of 35 mpg at a steady 60 mph. The 1800 is the star of the Earls Court Motor Show, and tends to overshadow another big BMC announce­ A. big b.'other to the 1100 - as big ment-the Mini range now has the Hydrolastic "fioat­ as tlf,e Hollie" and Falco" a"d just on-fluid" suspension of its big brothers. However, as fast - has jll,st been released in such is the stunning impact of the 1800 that it is the Britain. We b"i"g you exclusively new-car news of the year. How was it done? the first full test of the car. Take the BMC 1100, elongate it, widen the track, flt a larger engine, and let Farina style a graceful yet functional body, and you have the new Austin 1800-a sure fire winner all over the world, for it MC in Britain has just announced that its follows closely the so-successful Mini and 1100 in its B Mini range (sold here as the Morris 850) is design. to be built with Hydrolastic suspension from The "east-west" engine is a water cooled 4-cylinder now on. This, with the new 1800, now gives unit having a capacity of 1798 cc; overhead valves BMC a range of three cars, from 850 to 1800 cc, are operated by push-rods and the crankshaft has all using the transverse engine and float-on-fluid flve main bearings - which may be the start of principle. The system has proved itself com­ similar treatment for all BMC engines - and is fltted pletely trOUble-free, not only in tough Aus­ with a vibration damper. Bore size is 3.16 in (78.264 tralian conditions but everywhere in the world, mm), stroke 3.5 in. (88.9 mm), compression ratio 8.2 and should provide a great boost to the Aus­ to 1 (or 6.8 to 1 for some overseas territories) and the tralian sales of the baby car. The suspension engine produces 84 bhp (net) at 5300 rpm and 99lb/ft will cost about another £35 in Australia. The of torque at 2100 rpm, which is well down in the range Mini van will not get the Hydrolastic option, and provides quite sparkling acceleration through the however. well-spaced gears, together with a smoothness and It is not known when Australian 850s will be flexibility that is quite surprising for a four-cylinder fitted with the new suspension, as an Australian unit. manufacturer will have to be found for them, Drive from the engine through to the 4-speed all assuming BMC will contract for them outside synchromesh baulk ring gearbox (which is attached in instead of building them itself or risking an­ the now familiar way below the engine) is via a other rise in imported content by bringing in diaphragm spring clutch of 811 in. diameter, hydraulic­ the units from overseas. # ally actuated by a pendant-type pedal. The gear change mechanism, which is the one part of the BMC front wheel drive cars that has given trouble ever F the Morris 1100 was the car we were all waiting since the very first Minis, is of completely new design. I for, then the even more revolutionary Austin 1800, This time Issigonis has tried using three flexible cables just announced in Britain, is the one Australians running inside heavy duty casings and more will be have really been waiting for. This sensational car is said about this later when discussing road impressions. another, bigger, version of Alec Issigonis' transverse The gearbox ratios are: 1st, 3.292 to 1; 2nd, 2.217 to 1; engine and hydrolastic suspension theme, and pro­ 3rd, 1.384 to 1; top 1.0 to 1; and the final drive, which mises to be the one car to swing Australians away is also carried in the common transmission casing, is from their devotion to six-cylinder vehicles. While 4.188 to 1 standard with the option of 3.882 to 1. only a medium-sized car outSide, it has the interior An SU carburettor, type HS4, is fltted with a paper- 38 WHEELS, November. 1964 The sensational new Austin 1800; styling uses a grille reminiscent of the current Austin Cambridge, while rear treatment is slightly similar to Fiat 850. Car's main feature is remarkable interior room, equal to that of Holden or Falcon. Four doors open wide, are equipped with bins, armrests and double locks. )rmance 60 mph. )r Show, nounce­ c ":float­ iowever, it is the ? e track, graceful , Austin t, for it )0 in its ·cylinder 1 valves laft has start of is fltted l (78.264 ratio 8.2 and the L 99lb/ft le range !Ugh the .ess and ·cylinder peed all ached in a:!" cleaner having a warm air intake above Oxford Series III ceased production in 1959. The .s via a :nanifold. An SU electric fuel pump, type two-spoke steering wheel has 4! turns from lock to rdraulic­ the fuel from the 10! gallon tank situated lock and the resilient final drive couplings and con­ he gear luggage boot floor. The cooling system is stant velocity universal joints in the drive shafts give and on the same lines as the 1100 models, low speed flexibility and transmission silence as well he BMC eroansion tank that makes regular checks as a smooth power passage at all steering angles. ble ever The front suspension comprises upper and lower 1 design. -er level unnecessary; the capacity is 8! te cables another pint for the heater. wishbone arms mounted at their inner ends to the will be hat should please a great number of strong suspension frame that is attached to the bulk­ ressions. BMC owners is that once again they can head (see sectional diagram) while their outer ends H7 to 1; a:n.ilv-sized car with rack and pinion steering, carry the king pin mast and hub assembly. The top e, which -!ia has not been possible since the Morris wishbone at its inner end has a right-angled lever asing, is ;0 1. 3. paper- '''fA: 13 =J1t---' SPECIAL TEST I WHEELS. November. 19M 39 door pockets and a full width parcel shelf under the facia can carry all the odds and ends most families like to keep inside a car, while the rear window shelf gives another 5! sq ft of space. The facia is very sparse, conSisting of a ribbon-type speedometer with mileage recorder, combined with water temperature and fuel gauges, placed directly in front of the driver. There is a head/side lamp switch, ignition/starter switch, windscreen wiper switch, and warning lights that flash when the oil pressure is low, the oil filter blocked, or the dynamo not charging. A manually-operated plunger operates the windscreen washers. Along the top of the facia is a padded crash roll covered in black vinyl coated fabric to eliminate glare, while further crash rolls, similarly covered, run along the bottom of the facia and the front of the parcel shelf. In the centre of the facia is an ashtray, and two more are fltted to the rear of the front seats. Schematic illustration of the way the Hydrolastic A tinted driving mirror is set into a plastiC safety units are used in front wishbone suspension of 1800. frame, while the sun visors are of the crushable Disc brakes are self-adjusting, suspension life-sealed. variety. Both front seats are adjustable for leg reach and are covered in hide over rubber diaphragms and poly­ piece that butts against the knuckle end of the Hydro­ ether pads. At extra cost reclining front seats can be lastic unit operating strut. The other end of the strut had that when fully dropped can make up into a works the Hydrolastic displacer piston, the displacers double bed. Rear seats are also trimmed in hide over themselves being mounted horizontally across the car polyether pad interiors. The wide doors are hinged at inside the framework attached to the bulkhead. This their leading edges and have fully wind-down windows provides extra space under the bonnet and also inside of curved safety glass to give increased width at the car. shoulder level; both front doors have external locks At the rear the Hydrolastic displacers are mounted. while the rear doors have locks with childproof well ahead of the road wheels, in fact beneath the catches. The door casings are covered in vinyl treated rear seats, and the units are operated by trailing arms fabric, as is the roof lining, which is of moulded glass and long struts. Each Hydrolastic displacer is inter­ fibre in an effort to reduce road drumming. The rear connected front to rear by means of steel piping so doors have swivelling quarter lights, but there is no that the movement of the front wheels causes the need for these at the front due to the ventilating fluid to be pressurised inside the system and this system. acts in the opposite direction on the rear displacers, Front and rear curved screens are of toughened eliminating the pitching action of conventional sus­ safety glass carried in rubber mouldings. There are pensions. An anti-roll bar is fltted across the rear built-in seat belt anchorage pOints and provision for suspension to give added sta:bility at higher speeds. fitting radio. The luggage boot lid is spring-assisted Girling are responsible for the braking system, which and has concealed hinges and the spare wheel is consists of front discs of 9 in.
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